Michigan’s defense found its tone against Oklahoma, and John Henry Daley was at the center of it.
The Big Ten Conference named the Michigan edge defender its Defensive Player of the Week after his standout showing in the Wolverines’ 17-10 win over No. 11 Oklahoma. Daley, a senior transfer from Utah, put together the kind of afternoon that changes how a defense feels to everyone watching it: eight total tackles, three tackles for loss and his first official sack in a Michigan uniform.
Daley’s work at the line of scrimmage helped keep Oklahoma stuck at ten points. He was in John Mateer’s face throughout the game, squeezing the pocket on passing downs and making life difficult in the run game, too. After finishing Michigan’s opener against Western Michigan without a tackle for loss, he flipped the script against the Sooners and emerged as the engine of the Wolverines’ pass rush.
The performance also fit the arc of Daley’s journey to Ann Arbor. A standout at Lone Peak High School in Alpine, Utah, he started his college career at Brigham Young University before transferring to Utah. In 2025 with the Utes, he broke out as one of the nation’s top pass rushers, earning First-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big 12 honors after posting 48 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.
When head coach Kyle Whittingham moved to Michigan, Daley followed him through the transfer portal, and the expectation was that he would give the Wolverines a major lift up front. Against Oklahoma, he delivered exactly that.
Whittingham praised the way his team responded after the season opener and said, "Great effort, team effort, but still have a lot of things to clean up,". He also said, "Very proud of the way they responded after the performance last week, that was great to see.
They worked hard all week in practice, and it showed out there today". Later, he added about the defense, "One touchdown allowed in eight quarters of football.
They're a good football team. In my opinion, they're deserving of their ranking".
The win gave Michigan a needed bounce-back after its 13-12 season-opening victory over Western Michigan, and the defense’s numbers backed up the eye test. Oklahoma was held to 3.4 yards per carry, and Daley’s three tackles for loss tied for the best single-game total in the Big Ten in Week 2. It was also his first conference honor since arriving at Michigan.
In Other News...
Michigan Just Made An Early Move That Should Excite Basketball Fans
While the football team was entertaining Oklahoma, Michigan basketball used the same weekend to work its own recruiting circuit, bringing in several top prospects for campus visits. Among the headliners were 2028 five-star forwards Dylan Betts and Brady Pettigrew, a sign that the staff is already thinking far ahead as it tries to build relationships with the next wave of elite talent.
The visits also included time with head coach Mike Boynton and former players, giving the recruits a fuller look at what Michigan can offer beyond the practice gym. Pettigrew has sparked some buzz because of the possibility that he could move up a class, but that remains unconfirmed for now, leaving the bigger question open: how much traction did Michigan gain with two of the most coveted names on its early board? [Read more 🡒]
Michigan May Have Gained Real Recruiting Momentum After Beating Oklahoma
Michigans win over Oklahoma did more than improve the mood around the program. It also gave the staff a chance to put several high-profile visitors in the middle of the atmosphere, with five-star wide receiver Dakota Guerrant and four-star prospects Nasir Richardson, Mekhi McNair, Asa Burch and Armani Strong among the recruits on hand. The setting mattered, and the reactions afterward suggested the day landed the way Michigan hoped it would.
The buzz extended beyond the field, too, with recruits and their families speaking positively about both the game-day environment and the broader feel around the program. Guerrant, who is currently committed to Oregon, is among the visitors now taking a harder look after the trip, which is the kind of momentum Michigan has been trying to build on the trail. The game provided a backdrop, but the real question is how far that visit can move things in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Shouldn't Overlook The UTEP Threats That Could Test This Opener
Michigan opens the season as a heavy favorite, but the spread alone will not make UTEP disappear. The Miners bring a few players who give this matchup some real shape, starting with quarterback EJ Colson Jr., who gives their offense a dual-threat element, and Kam Thomas, a versatile piece who can move around and create problems in different spots. Add running back Tavorus Jones to the mix and UTEP at least has enough skill talent to make the Wolverines stay alert early.
Defensively, the Miners also have a few names that could make the first game of the year feel less like a tune-up than Michigan would prefer. Linebacker Jayden Wilson has been one of the more active pieces on that side, while cornerback Justin Content brings the kind of coverage ability that can challenge timing throws. Michigan should still expect to control the game, but if UTEP is going to make it interesting at all, it will probably come through a handful of those individual matchups rather than a broad team upset push. [Read more 🡒]